C.A.'s Updates en-US Wed, 23 Apr 2025 21:23:33 -0700 60 C.A.'s Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7399816291 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 21:23:33 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. added 'City of Last Chances']]> /review/show/7399816291 City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky C.A. gave 3 stars to City of Last Chances (The Tyrant Philosophers, #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Once again, I find myself wishing Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ allowed for more precise ratings.

I quite enjoyed 'City of Last Chances' by Adrian Tchaikovsky, this complex weave of revolutionary stories told across shifting points of view, but not quite to the same extent as some of the previous books I've already reviewed. If it were possible, I'd add another half-star to the score above. Certainly, my interest in reading the sequels has been piqued.

However, there are a few stylistic decisions which are not my particular preference in terms of prose or structure. As always, this will be a spoiler-free review and I will discuss some of my feelings below.

First and foremost, this book is technically quite brilliant.

Despite my own aversion towards multiple perspectives, a storytelling technique which you may actually prefer, the overarching narrative comes together seamlessly as it progresses. A wide cast of characters each pursue their own interests or navigate a wide array of challenges, and for the first half of the book it can feel rather disjointed. Many readers liken the structure to that of a sequence of short stories, and that is a fairly accurate description.

This point is arguably the biggest thorn in my paw after having read it, as one of the individuals I was most interested in, a certain dishevelled priest with a Dobby-esque 'God' perched on his bedside, disappeared for quite a few chapters after an early showing.

However, as the story begins to gain momentum both of these figures return to play key roles, and I found myself thoroughly hooked in the latter chapters. Each setting overlaps with a high degree of interplay, to the point a larger tapestry starts to take shape through the author's careful management of the different threads.

For anyone else who has read 'City of Last Chances' you will likely understand what I'm about to say: This is a story told through the eyes of the city itself.

The city of Ilmar, with its tensions between the rise of industry and suppression of magical traditions, serves as the plot's focus rather than the squabbles of its inhabitants. It all comes together neatly by the end as scenarios coalesce, but throughout the book Tchaikovsky paints a distinctive image of Ilmar as a place of downtrodden workers living under the thumb of an occupying force.

This 'Perfecture' struck me as a clever allusion to prefectures and their seemingly endless bureaucracy, given that I lived in Japan for a couple of years. Whether or not this was intentional on Tchaikovsky's part, the Palleseen conquerors are meticulous to a fault.

Knowledge is under their firm grasp in terms of censorship, and every aspect of daily life falls under the sway (pun intended) of 'correct thought'. Ultimately, this is a tale of the subjugated locals hoping to rise up against such tyrant philosophers, as the series title implies, with elements of fantasy and steampunk thrown in for good measure.

Snivelling politicians contest with labour union leaders and academics over the governance of Ilmar, set against a backdrop of spiritual possessions, rampaging monsters and mysterious woodlands standing on the city's periphery.

If you're a fan of Waxillium Ladrian and Wayne from the second arc of Brandon Sanderson's 'Mistborn Saga' entries then you will likely find enjoyment from reading this book. It blends magic and revolutionary fiction together quite well, and only the fragmentary manner of perhaps the first third of the story prevents me from giving it a higher rating.

Still, I am eager to begin reading the sequel in the coming months. While thus far I have preferred Adrian Tchaikovsky's works of science fiction, and I will start 'Children of Ruin' quite soon, my first foray into his more fantasy-themed series has definitely not caused me any regret.

If you want 'Les Mis' with demons, abominations and hordes of rats manifesting as psychotic dukes, look no further.

3.5 (or possibly 4) jousters who are actually just people piggybacking out of 5.



]]> Review4522287440 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:03:34 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. added 'Skyward']]> /review/show/4522287440 Skyward by Brandon Sanderson C.A. gave 4 stars to Skyward (Skyward, #1) by Brandon Sanderson
]]> ReadStatus9342331306 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:03:18 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. started reading 'Starsight']]> /review/show/7455810648 Starsight by Brandon Sanderson C.A. started reading Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
]]> ReadStatus9342330717 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:03:00 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. finished reading 'Skyward']]> /review/show/4522287440 Skyward by Brandon Sanderson C.A. finished reading Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
]]> ReadStatus9322663717 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:26:51 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. started reading 'The Spear Cuts Through Water']]> /review/show/7410684386 The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez C.A. started reading The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
]]> ReadStatus9322652277 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:21:12 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. finished reading 'Tress of the Emerald Sea']]> /review/show/7498125115 Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson C.A. finished reading Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
]]> UserChallenge63108494 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:20:31 -0700 <![CDATA[ C.A. has challenged himself to read 55 books in 2025. ]]> /user/show/147124237-c-a 11627
He has read 10 books toward his goal of 55 books.
 
10 of 55 (18%)
Create your own 2025 Reading Challenge » ]]> ReadStatus9322648128 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:19:04 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. finished reading 'Project Hail Mary']]> /review/show/7498122032 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir C.A. finished reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
]]> ReadStatus9322642685 Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:16:31 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. wants to read 'Isles of the Emberdark']]> /review/show/7498118469 Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson C.A. wants to read Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson
]]> Review7399816291 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:01:55 -0700 <![CDATA[C.A. added 'City of Last Chances']]> /review/show/7399816291 City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky C.A. gave 3 stars to City of Last Chances (The Tyrant Philosophers, #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Once again, I find myself wishing Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ allowed for more precise ratings.

I quite enjoyed 'City of Last Chances' by Adrian Tchaikovsky, this complex weave of revolutionary stories told across shifting points of view, but not quite to the same extent as some of the previous books I've already reviewed. If it were possible, I'd add another half-star to the score above. Certainly, my interest in reading the sequels has been piqued.

However, there are a few stylistic decisions which are not my particular preference in terms of prose or structure. As always, this will be a spoiler-free review and I will discuss some of my feelings below.

First and foremost, this book is technically quite brilliant.

Despite my own aversion towards multiple perspectives, a storytelling technique which you may actually prefer, the overarching narrative comes together seamlessly as it progresses. A wide cast of characters each pursue their own interests or navigate a wide array of challenges, and for the first half of the book it can feel rather disjointed. Many readers liken the structure to that of a sequence of short stories, and that is a fairly accurate description.

This point is arguably the biggest thorn in my paw after having read it, as one of the individuals I was most interested in, a certain dishevelled priest with a Dobby-esque 'God' perched on his bedside, disappeared for quite a few chapters after an early showing.

However, as the story begins to gain momentum both of these figures return to play key roles, and I found myself thoroughly hooked in the latter chapters. Each setting overlaps with a high degree of interplay, to the point a larger tapestry starts to take shape through the author's careful management of the different threads.

For anyone else who has read 'City of Last Chances' you will likely understand what I'm about to say: This is a story told through the eyes of the city itself.

The city of Ilmar, with its tensions between the rise of industry and suppression of magical traditions, serves as the plot's focus rather than the squabbles of its inhabitants. It all comes together neatly by the end as scenarios coalesce, but throughout the book Tchaikovsky paints a distinctive image of Ilmar as a place of downtrodden workers living under the thumb of an occupying force.

This 'Perfecture' struck me as a clever allusion to prefectures and their seemingly endless bureaucracy, given that I lived in Japan for a couple of years. Whether or not this was intentional on Tchaikovsky's part, the Palleseen conquerors are meticulous to a fault.

Knowledge is under their firm grasp in terms of censorship, and every aspect of daily life falls under the sway (pun intended) of 'correct thought'. Ultimately, this is a tale of the subjugated locals hoping to rise up against such tyrant philosophers, as the series title implies, with elements of fantasy and steampunk thrown in for good measure.

Snivelling politicians contest with labour union leaders and academics over the governance of Ilmar, set against a backdrop of spiritual possessions, rampaging monsters and mysterious woodlands standing on the city's periphery.

If you're a fan of Waxillium Ladrian and Wayne from the second arc of Brandon Sanderson's 'Mistborn Saga' entries then you will likely find enjoyment from reading this book. It blends magic and revolutionary fiction together quite well, and only the fragmentary manner of perhaps the first third of the story prevents me from giving it a higher rating.

Still, I am eager to begin reading the sequel in the coming months. While thus far I have preferred Adrian Tchaikovsky's works of science fiction, and I will start 'Children of Ruin' quite soon, my first foray into his more fantasy-themed series has definitely not caused me any regret.

If you want 'Les Mis' with demons, abominations and hordes of rats manifesting as psychotic dukes, look no further.

3.5 (or possibly 4) jousters who are actually just people piggybacking out of 5.



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